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  China is Holding the World’s Supply of Rare Earth Metals Hostage

  You may not care the China controls over 95% of the world’s supply of rare earth metals, but you might want to. China is putting a squeeze on the export of these valuable raw materials and building up a national stockpile. Funny thing, the communist superpower is not using these metals to make anything. It’s…

  By Kelly Published May 20, 2011
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  Tron Lightcycle Case Mod Should Only be Used in the Dark

  I’m serious-it should be illegal for this awesome Lightcycle case mod to be used in the harsh light of reality. Instead, boot up when the sun goes down, and ride onto the grid. [Bods-Mods via UberGizmo]

  Kat Hannaford Published May 20, 2011
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  The World’s Meanest Shooter Series Returns for a Third Game

  Heavily scripted shooters that take place in glorified corridors are well and good for most, but some people like to kill things out in the open, and kill them with a single bullet. For them, there is ArmA series, and for them, a third game in the franchise is on its way. ArmA III expands…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  Looking for a Few Good Dragon Age III Developers

  Role-playing game Dragon Age II was a big hit. No wonder BioWare’s Alistair McNally tweeted: “I’m looking for exceptional environment artists to join me at #BioWare Edmonton, Canada to work on #DragonAge3 #gamejobs #jobs #3D #artists” [IGN via Eurogamer]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2011
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  Strip Characters in Game. Strip Mannequin in Store.

  In PSP game Akiba’s Trip, players must expose vampires by…exposing them. Ripping their clothes off reveals if the characters are vampires. To promote the game, a maid costume similar to an outfit worn by an in-game bloodsucker is on display, inviting folks to strip it—or rather, flip up the skirt, revealing stripped knickers. A sign…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2011
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  And Suddenly, 1080p Doesn’t Look so Hot Any More

  We’re nearly six years into the first true generation of high definition video games, and still, few titles can manage to run at the “maximum” 1080p (1920×1080) resolution. Spare a thought for the games of the future, then, as this 85″ Sharp TV has a 7680 x 4320 display. Madness. [Dvice] (Top photo via darkhorse_loga…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  A New Mortal Kombat Means New Mortal Kombat Toys

  The new Mortal Kombat game, which has been a bit of hit, has spawned this line of action figures from Jazzwares, which should be shipping later this year. The first line features four fighters—Sub-Zero, Raiden, Scorpion and Johnny Cage—with each standing around 6 inches tall. First Mortal Kombat Images From Jazzwares [Toyark]

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  How to Eat Minecraft for Breakfast

  You can’t eat a downloadable game. But you can eat weird food crushed and packed into cubes that look like Minecraft terrain blocks. On the menu are french toast, sausage, cereal (with milk!) and blueberry yoghurt. [Instructables]

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  Sony’s AR Tech Is Smart (Smart Enough for NGP?)

  The holy shit moment of the Nintendo 3DS is its Augmented Reality capability. By using cards (or tattoos), the 3DS can project augmented reality. Sony is working on its own AR tech. It’s truly impressive. Called SmartAR, Sony’s augmented reality tech doesn’t require special markers or 2D. Thus, an object can be captured by a…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2011
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  Michael McWhertor’s Most Anticipated RPG Gets Tasteful Japanese Box Art

  Kotaku‘s already posted the game’s Western box art—it looks nice. The game’s Japanese box art looks nice, too. Maybe, even, nicer? It’s tasteful, that’s for sure.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2011
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  Why These Video Game Shoes Might be a Good Purchase

  Even if the design of the actual shoe isn’t to your liking, the Converse x Nintendo limited edition sneakers released for Mario’s (belated) 25th anniversary have one thing going for them: a great box. OK, so a box for sneakers may not be as useful as, well, most things, but it’s a very nice box.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  The Heroes of Arcade Insanity

  They might look like regular people, but their gaming skills are anything but. They’re superplayers. They take gaming as far as it can physically go. Here is an assortment of clips from the past few years. Some of them you might have seen, some of them you might not have seen. They’re worth repeated viewing,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2011
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  Uncharted NGP Is Part Sequel, Part Prequel [Update]

  The Uncharted game in development for Sony’s new NGP handheld is an all-new adventure, begging the question: how does it tie into the events of the three PlayStation 3 titles? The answer, according to Naughty Dog co-president Christophe Balestra, is that it fits neatly in between them. Speaking to French site Gameblog, Balestra says that…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  A Place for Your Bleeding Geek Heart

  In Japan, convenience stores, or “conbini” as they’re called, dot the landscape. They’re where people buy food and drink, pay bills, send letters and stand and read magazines without paying for them. Some might like Family Mart, others prefer Daily Yamazaki. I like Lawson, because more than any other corner store in Japan it panders…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2011
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  BioWare May, Gasp, Do Something Other Than Fantasy or Science Fiction

  Role-playing maestros BioWare, developers behind Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, are good with fantasy. They’re good with science fiction. With anything else? Well, that’s up for debate! In an interview with Gamasutra, BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk is asked whether the developer will ever consider setting something in the modern, real…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 20, 2011
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  Minecraft‘s Label Eyes Publishing Other Indie Games

  The folks at Mojang, the publisher behind the PC indie sensation Minecraft, “get requests every week,” says the company’s business development director. It’s tough to figure out what’s worth a “yes,” and what gets a “no,” but the company is listening to proposals to co-publish upcoming indie games. “We are in a great spot right…

  By Owen Good Published May 19, 2011
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  Yes, This is Actually LittleBigPlanet 2

  More than four million levels have been created by the LittleBigPlanet 2 community, but few-if any-are like this: A first-person shooter apparently set inside a mecha suit. I seriously have no idea how this was built. But the creator says it is just “a cinematic game play trailer for an upcoming project.” So, bigger things…

  By Owen Good Published May 19, 2011
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  Oregon Trail Copyright Owners Sue Frontierville Maker

  The May 30 launch of an “Oregon Trail” expansion pack in the popular Facebook game Frontierville has caught notice of the company holding the copyright to the edutainment classic, and it has sued to put a stop to the plans of Frontierville maker Zynga. The lawsuit, filed by The Learning Company in federal court in…

  By Owen Good Published May 19, 2011
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  Largely Unmoderated

  Kotaku readers, glad to have you in this post. While you’re here, I’m likely in EA’s Los Angeles compound, playing video games or looking at video games or talking to someone about video games. So this thread’s all yours. Please, do clean up after yourselves though. This is an open thread for you to share…

  By Michael McWhertor Published May 19, 2011
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  The Winter Classic At Last Comes to EA Sports’ NHL

  How many new features can you spot in this first screen shot of NHL 12? For starters, that’s the Capitals and the Penguins playing the Winter Classic at Heinz Field, which means the NHL’s outdoor New Year’s Day gala will appear in the EA Sports series for the first time ever. The Winter Classic played…

  By Owen Good Published May 19, 2011